Inked On The Street: Kevin Wallace

03/06/13/Photographer: Daniel Edward/Author: Rocky Rakovic

INK ON THE STREET

SUBJECT: Kevin Wallace

SPOTTED: Chelsea, New York City

WHERE HE GETS INKED: Wallace isn’t loyal to one shop. Artist Halo (who now works out of Konkrete Jungle Tattoo, in Elkridge, MD) and a freelance Maryland tattoo artist named Tom did some of his most meaningful work. Halo inked portraits of his mother and grandmother on his leg, and Tom added doves, crosses, and clouds to link the ladies together. “Having portraits of my mother and grandmother tattooed says a lot about the feelings I have for them,” Wallace says. “They mean more to me than life itself. They have given me more than I could ever ask for, and knowing that they’re with me everywhere I go—even though they’re still living—gives me a great amount of joy inside and out.” With more than 100 tattoos, Wallace says he’s often stereotyped as a thug. “I change the way I dress around certain groups of people to cover up my tattoos … [but] if I’m not in a business setting, you better believe I’m showing them off.”

BRAND BACKSTORY: Founded 10 years ago by Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar, this company has sparked a street following unparalleled by any clothier. Somehow, The Hundreds manages to put out wares that appeal to surfers, punkers, and hip-hoppers, uniting disparate scenes under one cloth. They’ve collaborated with Disney, e?S, Casio G-Shock, and other premier labels while staying true to their fans, who swoop into local shops or one of the brand’s four retail outlets to cop their limited-run threads.